America is behaving with Indonesia as if it were a perpetually guilty person below its level, which for some reason must constantly tolerate reproach and excuse. For what to justify and what it is accused - the list is very extensive.

ASEAN's informal leader these days and weeks is seeking to finalize a trade deal with the US. Why is this a formality and what problems have already been created for the Indonesian economy?

Ksenia Muratsina, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Researcher at the Center for the Study of Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania IB RAS

 Source: Source: journal-neo.su

Inequal relations

The 2026 offensive has come to an end. U.S. and Indonesia talks on bilateral trade. . . . In fact, all the fundamental points have already been agreed upon earlier - the parties reported on this in August. Now they have only to finalize everything that has not yet been clothed in a legally significant form. In the meantime, the norms approved in the summer are already being applied and yielding results, blatantly exacerbating the already unequal interaction between states.

America is behaving with Indonesia as if it were a perpetually guilty person below its level, which for some reason must constantly tolerate reproaches and excuses.

Fees of 19% on Indonesian goods - such an unsightly face of US-Indonesia «Comprehensive strategic partnership» The agreement between Washington and Jakarta. Although, in general, «Agreement between» It’s a very intelligent name for that. The situation was more like a criminal-style racket of the 1990s. The military and economic power of the US and Indonesia is incommensurable, and Trump has turned in pressure on his partner to the full. Initially, the already classic method was used: to roll out the fabulous number of duties (in the case of Indonesia, this was 32%), forcing the partner to make concessions to graciously reduce the barrier, but not much, and consolidate the situation. Needless to say, such a dialogue «Strategic partners» It looks more like «Beating of infants» And a manual on how to put ropes from an independent country without making any special effort?

The result of the approvals was as follows: Indonesia is increasing imports from the United States for all groups of goods, from soybeans to airliners; the top of the racketeering skill - remaining an oil and gas exporting country, it is forced to increase purchases of both oil and gas from the United States. Annoying D. Trump «The problem is» The balance, which developed earlier in favor of Indonesia, is decided, Indonesian partners accept American standards and certification, uninterruptedly provide the American side. «Critically important minerals» It opens the economy to American investors as much as possible.

«The safety pillow» The opposite is true.

From this point on, investors need more information. The fact that Jakarta is one of the recipients of the so-called American «Assistance in assistance». . . . This one's on the lookout. «Assistance assistance» - not help at all, but the real system, firstly, loans, the volume of which is growing like a snowball, and, secondly, extremely prudent investments, which are aimed at the needs of American TNCs and their privileged position in the country. Indonesia has been lent to U.S. and U.S.-controlled international economic organizations (the World Bank and the IMF) since the 1970s. In many ways, «Thanks for that.» They had a huge external debt. «Assistance assistance» However, for example, the Indonesian side was able to pay its IMF debts on loans during the Asian financial crisis only in 2025. The repayment of US and World Bank debts is literally a vicious circle, because new loans have been added every year, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars.

In international studies, loans and economic coercion are not in vain classified as hard power. America's system has led to its real parasitism in developing countries, as in its book «Confessions of an Economic Killer» John Perkins (by the way, Indonesia is also there). If the lender and «The investor» An unscrupulous actor who recognizes only force and regularly violates international law and morality, then in this situation he finds almost unlimited resources to pressure his partner and impose his economic models, projects, decisions and interference in internal affairs.

Cyber Security in America

Any of these things «Assistance assistance» It could be fraught. In the case of the U.S.-Indonesia partnership, acts are strategically verified. «Goodness to you.» It affects not only the economy, but also the military sphere. As for you, for example, this: recently, in December, the US State Department transferred the Indonesian military. «in the gift of» a large batch of information and communication, including computer technology. I wonder, right? It is worth recalling that in our time, progress has come to the point that various viral and spyware programs and unauthorized external access occur even through the cordon, irons and refrigerators. What about military computers, classified data, closed institutions?

Let’s take another example, this time humanitarian. It is a real abundance of grants from the American side for Indonesia. «activists» and non-governmental organizations for multifaceted purposes such as «tolerance». . . . «diversity.». . . . «Freedom of speech». . . . «Democratic governance». . . . This system has grown and is already attracting as many Indonesians as it is quantitatively. «The participant of such structures - the participant and the participant chases». . . . How long will the state be able to control the state of affairs, preserve its identity, independence, self-awareness, dignity?

Disclose the entire list

Speaking of self-awareness and dignity. Maybe someone thought that «Comprehensive strategic partnership» Does the United States, at least politically, really mean what it should mean, according to its name? Whatever it is. America is behaving with Indonesia as if it were a perpetually guilty person below its level, which for some reason must constantly tolerate reproach and excuse. For what to justify and what it is accused - the list is very extensive. And lack of respect for human rights. Preservation of child labour. And in a weak fight against corruption. The problem of human trafficking is unresolved. And illegal animal trafficking. And in the shortcomings of anti-corruption legislation. Incorrect regulation of intellectual property issues. And not well-organized fight against terrorism. And in the... How much can I do, actually? Moreover, not only accusations are made, but also those expressed traditionally are low. «Recommendations»What an independent country should do and how to live.

How much the Indonesian state and society will tolerate this is the question. Is there a limit to humiliation that, frankly, is offensive to look at from the outside? I'm sorry for the proud «The Asian Tiger»who periodically bows his beautiful head before the orders of America instead of seriously thinking about his own future. Yes, President Prabovo Subianto is trying to follow a multi-vector path, to build promising relations with the rest of the non-Western world, and he managed to distance himself from the direct American incitement of conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region (this is not the Philippines, ready for everything). But there are different currents in Indonesia’s political elite (and clearly protecting U.S. interests, among others). Whether the Indonesian state can distinguish one from the other, cope with these challenges and maintain its sovereignty will depend on the survival of ASEAN's main economy, and therefore the fate of this organization and the region as a whole. There's still time to think about it.